Love Thy Neighbour
by snogfairy
Summary: Natsu has taken a liking to his new next door neighbour, a dorky blonde in space leggins. His newfound fascination leads to an elaborate scheme and a strong desire to show her his dragon - if you know what he means. (You don't.) But who will truly be left speechless in the end? What surprises does she have in store for him? (NaLu Next Door Neighbour AU - with a little twist)
1. Chapter 1

This ficlet is dedicated to easyminds from tumblr, and also inspired by her very cute Next Door Neighbour AU Art!:3  
But I also had this _other_ idea and decided to incorporate it here, so it's your original AU but with a not so little twist!:O

(This is also the reason why T&amp;T updates are a little slow at the moment, I hope you forgive me, and that this will make up for it hehe.)

I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did writing it! It's a little different from my usual writing style, but boy it was fun! :D And challenging. Who knew that being funny was this hard? And impossible :'D It cost me the one or other nerve. :p  
**This will be a four part fic!**

* * *

"Locked out _again_?"

The young man sitting on the ground grinned up at his neighbour, looking almost _too_unashamed of himself as he pulled on his cigarette. Slowly, he exhaled the smoke and watched as a little cloud formed before the breeze carried it away.

Natsu Dragneel was not a women's man. He was, in fact, undeliberately qualifying for the exact opposite in various categories of his life. He had never hit on women with complicated and elaborate schemes; he had no playbook; he was, simply put, not even interested in dating anyone most of the time. If he won any awards for his feats, they would be titled By Now I Should Probably Know Women Will Misunderstand Me When I Say I Want To Show Them My Dragon, I Hit On Girls By Asking Them To Buy Me Dinner, or That One Time I Had A One Night Stand And Ruined It By Painting Her Face With A Sharpy While She Was Asleep.

Or at least that is what he would have told you, had you asked him.

So what in hell had driven him to take such measures?

The answer was as simple as it was new.

A woman.

The measures, too, were simple. He had 'forgotten' his keys at home. Now this act on its own would have been rather stupid, you might think, because all it would leave him with besides no woman would be no flat.

But Natsu Dragneel was not stupid either. He was a risktaker, and he gladly gave up his flat - temporarily - to obtain both home and woman in the end. Also, and more importantly, he preferred good company over an empty flat any day.

The flat that, coincidentally, was the one right beside hers.

Which was how it had all started, when he had _actually_ locked himself out of his flat three days ago - only to be found and sheltered by _her_ as they waited for the key service to arrive.

That hour had been the most enjoyable of his week.

She, the woman, was his new next door neighbour Lucy Heartfilia, a blonde with wit as sharp as a whip and a heart made entirely of kindness. That was everything he could be sure of as of now, plus the fact that she had a dog named Plue that looked like an unfortunate snowman in spring. But he was determined to find out more.

Because he liked her.

And he didn't even need to think further than that. All he knew was that she was fun to be with, and that he wanted to be with her again, preferably many times. That was another thing Natsu Dragneel was: straightforward, and impulsive.

And so, in the spur of a moment, he had slammed the door shut behind him, leaving his keys safely on the hook beside the door.

"Yeah," he answered with a grin, "locked out _again_."

Lucy gave an incredulous laugh, and he blinked up at her repeatedly, forgetting all about the glimmering cigarette between his fingers. It was almost dead, and, suddenly not very tempted by it anymore, he flicked it over the railing. Her eyes followed the stub until it hit the ground below.

"So, you need to be rescued again, do you? My phone is all yours."

He wanted everything about her to be all his - from her dazzling smile to her perfect breasts and the curve of her hips.

The thought came and went in a heartbeat, and it left Natsu a little surprised by himself. It had been a while since he had felt such a strong longing for someone or something, he had almost forgotten the joy of it.

As he worked himself off the floor, he readjusted the beanie on his head, trying to tame his salmon curls. But they were not to be tamed. Ever. His muscles ached too. He shouldn't have overdone it with that workout… again.

Lucy was giggling when he faced her, and he realized that, of course, she had been witnessing his whole struggle.

"Well, come on in before you accidentally kill yourself," she laughed, fumbling for her keys. Natsu was surprised that those space patterned leggins of hers even _had_ pockets. He puffed his cheeks in protest, but she had already turned her back on him. The door with the brass 13 swung open.

The apartment had a similar layout to his, so he knew his way around without trouble from what he remembered from his last visit.

He walked a straight line to the couch, only momentarily peeking to the kitchen area to his right before flopping down into the soft cushions.

"Ahh," he sighed happily, inhaling the scent of flowers and myrrh. Boy, she sure loved her herbs. Maybe she liked to cook? Which gave him an idea…

"Do you have any snacks?"

The blonde's brow twitched, and Natsu wondered if she had stepped on something edgy.

"Do you want me to bring you the phone while I'm at it, too?"

"That would be awesome."

For a moment, she stared at him motionlessly, and now Natsu was sure there had to be a mean object digging into her sole. She looked like she was in pain.

"AS IF I'M GONNA BRING YOU THE PHONE!"

"Oh. Aw. The snacks though…?"

"No."

He pouted. "Last time we had tea and cookies though…"

Now, for some reason, Lucy's face softened.

"We can prepare it together," she offered.

His face lit up.

"But first," she continued, wagging her finger at him. "Call the key service."

By the time he returned to the kitchenette, the kettle on the stove was steaming. With curiosity, he eyed the small scythe on the wall. She had all sorts of interesting - and probably useful - kitchen utensils. A new How Can I Casually Spend More Time With Lucy-idea blossomed in his mind: he'd have to lend them from time to time. Considering that his supply of utensils consisted of a few different pieces of cutlery and one spatula, this idea of his might prove to be more of a neccesity than a plan.

In his own humble opinion, he was doing _great_ at living alone, thankyou very much, but he had to admit that her flat possessed more than one thing that his was lacking. Not to mention she had moved in not more than two weeks ago, while he had been living here for half a year now. But, he thought with a small sense of victory, at least he had a pet.

That was when his eyes found the fishtank.

Oh damn it all.

He moved closer to inspect his 'cool pet' rival. But immediately, he realized this was a battle he would win.

"Wow, that's an ugly fish."

"I know right? His name's Ichiya."

Now if you want to imagine the fish named Ichiya, imagine an orange blob of modelling clay that has been slammed against a concrete wall several times before being handed to a toddler equipped with a sharpy and a weird sense of creativity. The result would almost come close to the thing in the fish tank.

Natsu leaned in closer, wondering if his cat would still consider this a fish worthy of its muzzle, or even a fish at all. His eyes were weirdly clever, almost desperate and pleading. Maybe it wanted him to end its agony? Natsu shivered and backed away.

"You can arrange some biscuits on this plate over there."

"Aye!"

Diligently, he scurried back to her side to lovingly arrange the biscuits - he recognized them, they were the cheapest from the supermarket next door - onto the pastel pink plate. He only stopped when the entire pack was empty, and Lucy eyed him as if he was a maniac.

He didn't understand why.

Just as they sat down on the couch, her phone buzzed and she pulled it out. He watched her fingers busily tap over the pink device. The little black cat figure she had fixed to it dangled loosely at the back. He crossed his legs on the couch and eyed the steaming tea. It was still too hot even for him. He looked back at her. She was grinning at the screen.

_Say something, Natsu._

He shifted nervously. He didn't want this to become awkward. She looked up at him and smiled, seemingly waiting for him to say something. Was he looking like he wanted to say something? What was he supposed to say?

_Not that._

Panic started bubbling inside him. She raised her brows. He reached for the tea, took a sip, and coughed his lungs out. It was as drinkable as liquid fire. Her eyes widened, and she looked like she was doubting his sanity.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah! So uh…"

_Don't say it. Anything but that._

"Do you wanna see my dragon?"

Lucy choked on her biscuit.

_You idiot. You ruined it. Now she's gonna throw you out and never talk to you again. You **idiot**. Why the hell would you say this? **Again**?_

"Y-your what?" she wheezed, tears in her eyes. He wasn't sure, but she seemed amused rather than scared off or offended.

"It's uh, it's…a joke? But also not really a joke! I mean… I was quite proud of it when I came up with it…" He trailed off as he watched her pressing her lips together, desperately trying not to laugh. Her face was beet-red, but the amusement in her eyes was contagious.

"You were proud of… a dick joke?"

"Hey, I made it up myself!" he protested, and this time he joined in on her snorting. "It wasn't even meant as one! I was just being an oblivious idiot! See, it's my _bike_. And I genuinely wanted to show her but - well I never got that far. So then I kinda started using it as a joke-not-joke."

"So you…made it up by accident is what you're saying."

"That doesn't make it better does it."

"Not at all."

Silence settled slowly, driving out their laughter. Natsu's stomach hurt. Well, at least she didn't hate him. That was a start, wasn't it?

It certainly was new.

"So… I'd love to see _your drago_n."

"Seriously?!"

His eyes widened when she grinned at him.

"I'm quite interested in motorbikes myself, you see."

She looked rather proud of herself. His mouth dropped, and he jumped up from the couch.

"For real? Come on then, I'll show you!"

Her grin matched his as she stood up. He had left the tea untouched after his near-death experience, but her cup was almost empty. He cocked his head in confusion. Usually he was the one who was known as the one with the dragon lungs. Her eyes dropped to the ground, and his followed. With her foot, she kicked a thick book to the side before he could read the title. Sp-

"Let's go!"

"Alright!"

They dashed out of the apartment and down the outside stairs excitedly, almost tripping into the other on more than one occasion. The carpark was behind the building, and not fully occupied at this time of day. There were a few cars, three motorcycles, and one scooter.

And it was this scooter - a red Vespa, to be exact - in front of which Natsu halted with a proud grin. Lucy's eyes fixed themsleves on the flames that he had graffitied to the side.

"So this is…"

"…my dragon."

He beamed at her, patting the saddle with the chafed leather lovingly. The corners of her mouth twitched. And then she was giggling, clutching a hand over her mouth.

"What?" he was still grinning. "It's faster than it looks! My baby can go like… 60 km/h on a straight road!"

She burst into laughter, and he joined in. He was well aware that 'dragon' built up a reputation his beloved Vespa could not uphold, and that it was neither the fastest nor the coolest bike on the road - hell it wasn't even a _bike_, if he was honest, it was a fucking scooter - but he loved his Fire Dragon with all his heart.

"It's nice!" she agreed with a laugh, "but not as fast as mine."

Hers, you ask yourself? Well Natsu asked the same. And what he saw when she pointed at the motorcycle furthest from them, and he properly looked at it for the first time, made his chin drop in a mix of childish joy and reverential respect.

A Suzuki GXR-R750, all in black and lavender. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that she had graffities too. A little crown on the lower side, and a white _princess_ lettering with bright pink lining on the frame protection.

Proudly she stalked over to her machine and swung a leg over its back, sliding into the saddle. With a coquette wink, she arched her back and leaned forward - and boy, did he _love_ those space patterned leggins. And her dizzying neckline. And-

"Stop staring, you pervert!"

"Well _I'm_ not the one posing on a motorbike in- in that!" he cried with a finger raised in a direction he should not have pointed it.

Before he knew it, his feet were in the air and his back on the ground. Sheepishly, he blinked up at her. It looked like she was standing in flames. Or maybe that was just the thousand blazing stars he was seeing.

Oh dear, he _really_ liked her.

"You have a motorbike…" he managed lamely. "A _real_ motorbike."

"Your dragon is still cool," Lucy tried to reassure him.

"Of course he is!" In an instant, Natsu was sitting upright, fire in his eyes. "I never said he wasn't! Bet I could beat you in a race."

"…"

"…"

They both shared the same mental image as they sat there, one kneeling and one on his behind, and both thier lips quivered at the mere thought.

"Do you have a scooter helmet?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"…yes…"

"Oh my stars."

"Race me right now!" he roared, and she giggled maliciously.

"Not until you have a real bike."

"Iggy_ is_ a real bike!"

"Iggy…"

"You got a problem with that?"

"No no," she reassured him, but then winked. "I'm more into Nikki. But seriously, why do you not have a motorbike if you're so dead set on racing people?"

"I… don't have a lincense." he grumbled, but then blinked. "Also I wasn't talking about the_rapper_, duh. I have _taste_. Iggy is my father's nickname!"

"Fufufu… this just keeps getting better and better."

"RACE ME."

"Geeze, _fine_, if you insis- wait, no! What about the key service! We should go back!"

"But-"

"What if they were here already and left! Come on!"

With a panicked face, Lucy grabbed his hand and dragged him along behind her. After he had overcome his initial surprise (and glancing at their intertwined fingers for a second too long) Natsu caught up with her and dashed forwards, almost yanking her through the air.

"I can hear them, they're here! Guys, don't leave! I need my flat back or I'll be stuck with this weirdo!"

"Let me goooo…!"

Her crescent earrings bounced with each step, and Lucy almost tripped when he pulled her around the corner in a haste, but this time he noticed and caught her around the waist.

"Don't worry, I gotcha," he grinned, self-pleasedly noticing the slight blush on her cheeks. So he still had got it after all. You never could go wrong with the dragon.

By now, the reader will have noticed another thing Natsu Dragneel was: overconfident. That was a quality, of course, he carried with pride and confidence.

Which didn't save him from her panicked shreak as she kicked him into the wall.

"Pervert!"

He rubbed his cheek with a stupid smile. Smitten. He was smitten with her charms.

The woman that had been about to scale the stairs stood frozen, eyeing them as if she was already thinking of an escape plan. Her name tag identified her as 'Selkey' - a typo which she herself found hilariously unfunny, and was almost certain had been no accident.

"Hi, I'm Kelsey from Gajeel's Gridlock. Do you happen to know if a Mr. Dragneel lives here?"

"That'd be me!"

Natsu raised his hand, the one that was not still clutching Lucy's - high into the air and gave a mock salute. The woman's eye twitched, and she exhaled slowly. In her many years as a key service person - a job which, by the way, had never been her dream - she had met her full share of weird people. And if her weirdo-radar was not betrayinmg her, which it rarely did, the two in front of her would probably prove to be worthy of the Top Ten.

_Only three more years until retirement. _

Next time she would send the new girl, the short one with the blue hair. She was still young and innocent. She would learn that the life of a keyservice person was a hard one. She would learn. Kelsey smiled.

What happened next was too boring to tell, as it was what always happened when a key service person arrived at a scene: doors were opened.

And, even more unfortunate for Natsu, flats were entered. Separate flats. By separate people.

Now he was sulking on his small couch, his cat the only consolation as it purred in his lap. The more he had enjoyed her company, the more he didn't want to be separate from her anymore. He wanted to be a duo, a _team_, Natsu _and_ Lucy.

And it was Selkey who had taken it all away from him, with her raincloud atmosphere and crowbar. Stupid Selkey.

_"It's Kelsey, stupid! Stop being rude!"_

He could almost hear Lucy's reprimanding words again,a nd obediently he corrected his thoughts.

Stupid Kelsey.

But his mind wandered on to more pleasant things in a heartbeat. He had never been one to dwell on things that cold not be changed anymore. No, he was a man of action. And of _marvelous_ideas.

At least that is what he would have told you, had you asked him.

Time for the sex appeal strategy. Or, as he liked to call it, That One Single Time I Had A Successful One Night Stand When I Took Off My Shirt.

So he proceeded to do exactly that. With one last glance in the mirror - smaragd eyes, olive skin, defined muscles - he was satisfied. His workout took only an hour today, and he was happy to find himself drenched in sweat when he looked in the mirror again. His hair clung to his forehead. He grinned deviously.

With a hard tug, the door to the balcony slid open. The air was refreshingly cool as it caressed his heated body, and Natsu sighed in delight. Loud enough, he hoped, to catch her attention. The door to her balcony was open by a few centimeters, just as it had been the whole evening.

Now that he was outside, he could hear the muffled hammering of a beat. She had not been lying when she had told him about her music preferences, had she? And was she trying to _rap along_?

Natsu snorted. Now that was more like Iggy - and he wasn't talking about his bike nor his dad this time.

But now how was he supposed to catch her attention? How was he supposed to impress her with his body if she wasn't _looking_?

Unacceptable.

This sweaty goodness could not go to waste.

Leaning over the railing, he twisted his torso and squinted his eyes to try and get a better look into what he knew was her kitchenette.

And what he saw made his chin drop.


	2. Chapter 2

**YAY here we go with part 2! Did anyone pick up on the hints I gave you in the last chapter? B) The plottwist will be revealed in this one, so pay attention if you want to figure it out before the end. ;)**

* * *

Natsu Dragneel was sure of many things.

He was sure he loved his job as a firefighter, his cat and his dragon. And spicy food. He was sure that his hair was _not_ dyed, for god's sake, and that the rosy hue created a perfect contrast to his dark sin; in short, he was _sure_ he was attractive. He was sure that he had been a sobbing mess during Bambi, and he was even more sure that no one could ever find out. He was sure that during the last two weeks, he had fallen hard for a weirdo in space leggins and that he would soon combust if he didn't kiss her. He was sure he disliked anchovis, especially on pizza.

And he was sure that he was not insane.

Some people might disagree on that last point, would you ask them.

But he was not some people, and he was dead set on proving to himself that his mind worked just fine. That _first_ time, on the balcony - well, he had been able to brush it off and ascribe it to lack of sleep. He had chosen to ignore it like he had ignored the instruction manual for his microwave - which was _maybe_ the reason why it produced nothing but burned food no matter what buttons he pressed - and life had went on just fine.

(Really, what was so hard about setting up a microwave?)

From that day on, he met up with Lucy every day - without having to lock himself out of his flat - and they quickly grew closer. Really, it felt like she had been there all his life. And he sure didn't want to let her go ever.

But then it had happened again. The _second_ time he had seen her–

No. No, it was just not possible.

The door to her place swung open, the brass 13 glittering in the sunlight, and she greeted him with an exuberant hug that pressed the air out of his lungs.

It was the second time she greeted him like this. The first had been two days ago, and it had taken him by surprise.

It had been new. New, but not unwelcome at all.

_"Natsu! I'm so glad you're here!"  
_

_"I totally agree," he cackled, "but why exactly?"  
_

_Without looking at him she turned around and waved for him to come along, but not without first rolling her eyes and smacking his shoulder._

_His cheeks felt hot._

_She scuttled over to the small, crooked table in front of the couch and picked up something that glinted in the sunlight._

_Stepping closer to him, she took his right hand into hers and placed the thing into his palm. It felt cool against his skin. When she pulled away, she revealed a silver keychain with a red dragon. A smile travelled from his one ear to the other, lighting up his entire face._

_Lucy beamed._

_"You'll never lose your keys again."  
_

If only he had known how true those words would prove to be.

Because he had _tried_ to lose them. He could have sworn he had purposefully left them on his nightstand, but when he came home from work, they had been jingling in his right pocket. The next day, he was _sure_ he left them on the nightstand, double-checked even - but when he had come back, Happy had been sitting in front of the door, proudly dropping the keys onto the firetruck floormat and proceeding to chew on them.

Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

Maybe he didn't _have_ to leave them at home anymore.

"Hi," Lucy grinned, resting her hand on his bicep for a moment too long. "Rescued some kittens from trees?"

"Pah! Twenty of them!" he boasted as he entered, inhaling the scent of fresh cookies that almost managed to drown out the everpresent herbs. Water pooled in his mouth. "Mmmhh…"

"Don't even think about it. They're fresh out of the oven."

"Awe. So cruel, Lucy!"

His gaze dropped from her face to her pastel green skirt and creamy knitted thigh highs. She had been wearing those fluffy slippers yesterday too. He remembered because he had come face to face with them after tripping over Plue. Lucy had helped him up, not without gloating, but then suddenly they had been _so close_. So close that for a moment he had forgotten to think, senses clouded by her big maroon eyes and dizzying scent.

When their noses had bumped, however, reality had come for both of them, yanking them backwards by invisible threads.

But he had been sure. They had almost kissed.

Oh but he was not here for this today. Or well, actually, if the opportunity arose, who was he to say no? He was _potentially_ here for this today. There, better.

But what he was here for first and foremost was investigation. He had to be stealthy, like a ninja. He needed to know. Of course, he could just ask her. But how?

Hey, Lucy, I saw you -

By any chance, could it be that -

Do you think that it's possible -

Oh, no way. What would she think of him if it _wasn't_ what he thought it was?

So he concentrated his attention on her elaborately braided hair instead, wondering just how the hell she had managed to do _that_ with just two hands. Now that seemed impossible on its own, in a whole other way.

"What the hell did you do with your hair?"

"Oh, I tried out a few hairdos for the beauty column. Why, do you not like it?"

"Well… it looks like birds could live in there. Rich, fancy birds, to be fair."

"You know nothing of fashion."

Natsu rolled his eyes and took his usual route to the couch. His eyes wandered over the now familiar Wizard of Oz poster on the wall. Then he remembered something; something that he now realized had been missing for quite a while.

"Where did Itchy Ham go?"

"Itchy what?"

"The fish!"

"Oh! Ichiya… Oh, uh, I - I freed it?"

Unable to lok him in the eye, Lucy turned her head away and coughed nervously. What was the meaning of this? Ichiya the fish… had he…?

_Oh no._

Without another thought, he pulled her towards him in a tight embrace, lifting her halfway onto his lap. Her face turned in surprise, meeting his chest. She sat motionless, but didn't pull away, so he carefully placed a hand on the back of her head and rested his chin on top. His voice was low.

"It's okay… I'm sure he's in a better place now. One where other fish appreciate him - well, maybe not for his looks, but-"

She laughed, hiding her face in his shirt.

"That's not… it's not like…"

He gently threaded his fingers through her hair, and the words seemed to die on her lips.

"…thanks." she finished, exhaling deeply. Her breath fanned across his shirt and turned the skin beneath hot. His heart did a somersault. Lucy was in his arms, and she seemed content. Better yet - she hadn't even kicked him into oblivion.

His thumb brushed against her earlobe, and with a shudder, she slightly lifted her head. Her cheeks were as red as his.

"I'm gonna combust," he murmured, licking his lips.

"What?"

She blinked in confusion, but before the moment could pass Natsu lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers. Her eyelids fluttered and then closed, and excitement coarsed through him. She was still not pulling away. She was _letting_ him kiss her.

And kiss her he did.

He forgot how to breathe when his lips found hers, and she gently kissed him back. Oh, her lips were magic. Soft and sweet, and tasting like the hazelnut cookies he had smelled upon entering. He kissed her again, dragging his tongue along her bottom lip. He delighted in her pleasant shivers.

His hand dropped from her jawline as he pulled back, staring at her closed eyes and parted lips. Her brows scrunched when the contact was broken, and he almost had to laugh at how cute and mildly offended she looked.

His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, so that her legs fell over his right knee and onto the couch, and her behind rested in the hollow between his crossed legs.

She smiled up at him almost shyly, and he grinned despite the heavy blush on his cheeks.

"So… do you wanna see my dragon now?"

Lucy blinked, once, and in slow motion. He was certain that he had just brought final judgement upon himself, readying his body for the kick he knew would come. It had been worth the look on her face.

But instead, after a moment of incredulous silence, she snorted.

"I hope it's not as disappointing as your bike."

And suddenly Natsu Dragneel was sure of yet another thing.

He was in love.

Now you might think that falling in love might take longer than two weeks, but to Natsu it was as clear as day that he wanted to be with this women for as long as she let him. He was as stubborn as he was loyal, and he might not even have come to understand love truly in his 21 years of life; but he knew that this had to be it.

He would learn, over time, that love was much more than that.

But in this moment, Natsu was in love.

"You mean my super _big_ bike."

"It's not even big."

"Well, the _bike _isn't…ehem…if you know wh-"

This time, it was enough.

"Oh, you pervert!" she shrieked, jumping off him and puffing her cheeks in outrage. Imagine a pink rubber ball. Imagine it. Now imagine eyes. That's it. That's Lucy in this moment.

Natu held his belly as he shook with laughter, and she stomped her feet in defiance. The sound echoed through the room and directed his attention abck towards her. With newfound confidence, he stood up and stalked over towards her.

"Careful Lu, you got me all fired up now."

"W-what's that supposed to mean…"

Her cheeks turned the colour of his new dragon keychain.

"It means we are dating now, and that…" Natsu missed how her eyes grew wide and her cheeks burst into flame, because he had jumped over the couch and was dashing straight for the cookies. "…gives me the right to eat all those bastards up right now!"

Natsu was simple like that. He had decided he was dating Lucy, no ifs or buts. They had kissed, right? In broad daylight, with no alcohol involved. This _had_ to mean she loved him too.

Natsu was blazing with triumph and joy as he snatched up one of the cookies.

Lucy threw her hands into the air.

"I give up!" she informed the ceiling. "I'll take a shower, so leave me be. No peeking!"

"Sure thing Lucy," Natsu managed to say inbetween bites of cookies. He picked up the whole tray as he lurched back over to the sofa. If she still saw, she didn't comment.

Happily, he slumped down into the pillows, placing the baking tray on his stomach.

Life was good.

That was when his eyes found the book cover peeking out from under the sofa. He recognized it as the one she had kicked out of his sight on the day he had showed her his dragon.

Ah, that was right.

He had almost forgotten about Mission Magic.

He picked the book up. It was not dusty, and appeared to have been used a lot. Dog-ears and colourful notes peeked out from everywhere. He read the scribbled title. His eyes widened. He opened it and flipped through the pages.

Natsu Dragneel was sure of many things.

And now, finally, he was sure of one more; one that had made him question his sanity for days on end and that might very well prove to be his stepping stone to insanity.

Natsu was convinced that he was dating a witch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ahh so sorry for the long wait omg! But I promise the last chapter will be out shortly after this one! Then that will have been it for this story already :o Such fun times ehhehe. This one is in Natsu's POV again as usual, but the last one will be Lucy's. B) **

**psst, I'm also currently working on a new nalu AU - it involves space travel ;)**

**As always, if you like the fic, please review! Nothing lifts my spirits as much as your lovely words 3**

* * *

It had been seven days.

Seven days since the discovery that still made Natsu doubt his sanity.

He was dating a witch.

And he still had no idea how to confront her about her secret hobby.

With every passing day, though, he wondered how he had not found her out earlier. It all made so much sense now. The clues had all been there.

The fact that he had not been able to lose his keys no matter what after she had tinkered with them, the spell book she had left lying around openly... probably even the little black cat keychain, now that he thought about it.

Hell, she even had a fucking _scythe _on the wall.

He eyed it from his place on her couch, where it hang with all her other kitchen utensils. She really had a whole arsenal. When he'd asked her to lend some, she'd had to explain some intricate gadget's functions to him more than once.

Lucy - his girlfriend, he thought with the proud giddiness of a man in fresh, fresh love - had her legs on his lap, where he'd unconsciously started rubbing her bare skin. Her nose was deep in a book, and it seemed she had lost contact with the world around her. For at least twenty minutes, she hadn't moved at all.

Before that, she had shifted and twisted about a million times until she had finally found a position that actually suited her, and now Natsu felt much like he did when Happy snuggled into a fluffy ball on top of him.

He couldn't move.

It came close to sacrilege to disturb a creature in so much obvious peace and content. Especially when she looked like a supernatural being while doing so.

Except, of course, she was.

She was supernatural.

Natsu took a deep breath, pondering if now was the time to break the question. Lucy bit her lip in concentration, and his eyes automatically followed the motion, a shudder travelling down his spine.

She noticed his intense stare, regarding him over the rim of the book in her hands. Half her face was obstructed from view by the damned thing, but by the way the skin around her eyes wrinkled, he knew she was giving him a large, relaxed smile.

Natsu smiled back, all of his building determination shattered with that simple glance of hers.

Everything was perfect right now.

Did he really want to risk that?

But before the sudden fear - a feeling he was a stranger to 363 days of the year - could overwhelm him, he opened his mouth, his hands stilling on her shins.

"Lucy..."

But fate - in the form of the doorbell - had other plans, it seemed.

He dropped his head back onto the soft headrest with a groan, not moving as Lucy freed her legs from his hold. He knew she was looking at him quizzically before making her way to the door, but he didn't find it in him to even lift his head.

There went his chance, his one moment of insane courage.

Rolling his head to the side was enough to bring her back into view. His eyes clung to her backside as she moved in her tight minty leggings, and he smiled unknowingly. He was one lucky guy.

The sight was enough to momentarily distract him from his troubled thoughts.

As was the one he was given as Lucy opened the door.

"Ah, pretty lady, you look like you want to impress _meeen_!"

Natsu almost dropped off the couch at the surprisingly ugly man's words, coughing loudly to attract his attention. But the guy - who was so very obviously a salesman, from his slimy suit to the black suitcase he was carrying, and even his carefully plucked eyebrows that Natsu could make out even from the distance - did not even bat an eyelash at him.

No, his creepy eyes were fixed on his girlfriend.

Something about him reminded him of an orange blob of modeling clay.

Natsu leaned forward, suddenly excited how she'd handle the man. He grinned.

He could practically _see _her fake smile as he curiously stared at her back.

Her nervous laugh confirmed his assumption.

"I really don't need...whatever it is you're selling to impress men, thank you."

"But m'am, Ichiya of _Perfumen_ will surely change your mind. This lovely perfume will send you straight to... heaven," the man said in a singsong voice, pointing at his name tag, and a chill ran down Natsu's spine.

"Look, sir, you've been here before, and I thought I made it quite clear that I was not interested." Lucy's voice suddenly sounded vaguely threatening, and even the man called Ichiya (hadn't he heard that name before?) seemed to shrink a few sizes, though that barely had seemed possible before.

"I was here before?" he laughed, but then suddenly, Natsu watched his face literally freeze before he could say another word, and pure terror took over his eyes.

He seemed to stare into nothingness, reliving something that made his very soul tremble and recoil, in memory of something no human soul should ever be subjected to.

Ichiya himself had no idea why he suddenly was so incredibly _thirsty_, or why the urge to jump into a pool overcame him with the force of a tidal wave.

All he knew was that he was absolutely terrified of a memory that was too vague and impossible for him to grasp, but that he certainly did not want to bring to the surface of his mind.

And that he did not want to be here.

Natsu knew nothing of this inner conflict. All he saw were the emotions on the man's sweating face, and he surpressed the urge to snort. Had she given him her Lucy Stare? He knew how effective it could be, but this reaction seemed a little extreme even for a look as terrifying as the one Lucy could give you when she was angry.

And that was saying something.

If Ichiya had reminded him of a blob of modeling clay before, then now he reminded him of a blob modeling clay that had been repeatedly slammed against a wall and then been chewed on by a toddler that got spit all over him.

Yes, that seemed about right.

The man was retreating hastily, mumbling a nervous apology followed by a half-screeched goodbye before he practically dashed off (but not without one last, dramatic swish of his orange mane).

_Why _did he seem so familiar?

Natsu was sure he hadn't met the guy before, for a man as ugly and creepy as him was not one easily forgotten. The colour of his hair, the line of his jaw, those desperate, fishy _eyes_...they reminded him of...

Oh. Oh _no_.

Three weeks ago Natsu would have thought it absolutely impossible, would have laughed into your face had you suggested the idea.

But now his girffriend was a witch.

And he was suddenly sure that he was looking at her goldfish.

It barely registered with him when Lucy saw off the salesman (who seemed incredibly relieved himself). Only when she closed the door, and the resulting click echoed quietly through the room, did he come back to his senses.

She turned back around, no doubt on her way to walk back over to him.

Natsu was aware he must look like he had just seen a ghost.

His jaw had went slack long ago, and he had never bothered reigning it back in. His girlfriend's amused expression managed to halfway snap him out of his trance, and finally he whispered, so feebly you almost couldn't hear it, with a slight, awed tremor to his voice, the question he'd gone over so many times in his head.

"Lucy...are you a witch?"

Lucy the witch stopped dead in her tracks.

When she didn't move, only stared at him wide-eyed, as if trying to figure out if he was joking or not, he silently pointed at the door and breathed, "Was that Itchy Ham?"

Another moment of silence passed.

"Are you saying…" she finally started, gesticulating lamely at the door, "that I am a witch and this man was Ichiya the goldfish?"

Natsu nodded vigorously, head a flaming red. There was no backing-down now.

And then, suddenly, the corners of her mouth tugged upwards.

"Natsu Dragneel, I'm impressed."

"It's really true?!"

Now that he had said it out loud, even though she had just conceded his suspicions, the words had sounded even more irreal to his ears.

"Yeah," she simply stated, but by the way her hands clutched together he could tell she was nervous. "Is that, uh… okay with you?"

"You're a witch."

"Yes."

"A real witch."

"Yes, Natsu."

He continued gaping, and she very nearly rolled her eyes at him. His chest rose and fell steadily, so very in contrast to his emotional state. Gears were latching, processing the information he had been given – not to mention the fact that he had been _right_, because that was absolutely incredible in itself – until finally, the knowledge settled comfortably, locking in place with a definite snap.

"That – is – so - AWESOME!" he hollered, suddenly on his knees and leaning so far forward onto the armrest of the couch that he felt himself lose his balance. The fall was anything but graceful, and he came up a spluttering mess with blazing eyes, excitedly striding towards Lucy and taking her hands into his.

The relief he observed flushing over her face confused him (because, really, who didn't think witches were almost as cool as dragons?), but when she joyfully returned his grin he couldn't help but lean down to capture her lips in a firm and excited kiss. He pulled back beaming, and her shy smile made a part of him roar in triumph.

"Do you have a broom?"

"Wh—what! No! I have a vacuum cleaner like any other sensible person!"

"What."

Lucy blinked at him once more, with eyes much like the ones Ichiya always had donned in his little glass container, and Natsu knew his own face resembled the misshapen creature too.

The image of Lucy seated on a vaccum cleaner, clad in witch wear from her crooked hat to her bare feet, with a large and beautiful moon glowing in the background, crossed his mind.

"Oh," she finally managed, and silent laughter began to shake her shoulders. "For _flying_."

Natsu snorted.

"What, did you think I was asking about your cleaning habits?"

"I don't even," she gasped in between giggles, "I don't think I was _thinking _at all. But to clear your confusion, no, brooms are quite outdated. And not very comfortable anyways."

She grimaced at an apparently unwelcome memory.

"Ah! But!" he suddenly exclaimed with an accusing finger pointed at her, "Speaking of cleaning! I _saw _you! How's that fair to us mortals!"

"Witches are mortals too, you know," she muttered, but then sobered up a little. "So... you found me out, huh. Should have closed those curtains after all..."

Natsu smirked, about to comment on his immaculate detective qualities, when he suddenly faltered. "You... weren't gonna tell me?"

"Oh, Natsu, of course I was going to tell you. Just..." She paused, nervously twirling a strand of hair around her finger, "I didn't really know how."

Her eyes were pleading, almost scared, as she looked at him, and he felt the need to reach out and tell her she didn't have to worry. Instead, he nodded encouragingly, smiling as he intertwined their fingers.

Lucy squeezed it back, suddenly teary eyed.

"L-Lucy? Don't cry! I'm not mad or anything!"

She nodded, wiping a stray tear away as she smiled up at him brightly.

"I know," she whispered, "Thankyou."

Even though he didn't really know what reason she had to be grateful, he certainly didn't object when she leaned up to kiss him gently. His arm snaked around her waist to pull her closer, and he smiled against her.

"Let's sit back down," she mumbled against his lips, and then silently led him back to the couch. This time, she opted for snuggling closely against him, hugging his right arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

"So…" he started after a moment of silence. "Itchy Ham, huh."

"Oh god," she groaned, cringing at the mention of Natsu's nickname for her former pet fish.

"You turned your goldfish into a human? Why would you do that, Lucy?"

"Oh. My. God. Natsu. He never was a fish! He was a door to door salesman _before_ he made the mistake of bugging me with his stinky perfume. So..."

"You turned him into a fish."

"…yes." She admitted, hiding her face behind her hands. "He was just really impertinent, and I _couldn't_ handle him anymore, he came by _literally_ every week, so when he mentioned he'd be on holidays all of the following week…well…"

Natsu couldn't help himself, he burst out laughing.

"Shut up," she laughed, smacking him over the head with a pillow. "He doesn't remember, not really, but I guess some emotions sticked with him from the looks of it. Being a fish for a week will probably leave some…. habits too. Uh. Poor guy."

Not sure if he should hold his aching stomach or wipe away the tears that threatened to spill, Natsu toppled over, bending down into his lap, She smacked the back of his head again, but only half-heartedly.

"Lucy," he finally managed, "please don't ever turn me into a fish."

She closed her eyes with a big smile, shoulders silently shaking with soft laughter.

"Not if you behave," she said with a wink, and he gave her a crooked smile. He leaned over, pecking her cheek.

"Well then I don't have to worry."

She just snorted in response, fingers busying themselves with stroking along the caramel skin of his arms. She lingered on his bicep, drawing small circles, and smiled. Natsu observed her intently, glad to see her absolutely relaxed again.

Lucy brought her eyes back up to meet his, but continued the ministrations of her hand. She took a deep breath.

"So... you probably have a lot of questions."

They talked until well into the night - or rather, Lucy did most of the talking, with the occasional question from a fascinated Natsu - bunched up into a cuddly bundle of blankets, pillows and limbs.

Natsu wasn't sure who fell aseep first, but when he awoke in the deep of night, tired and dazed, he had enough presence of mind to pull the blanket up to cover them both, and then slid down into a more comfortable position that wouldn't leave his neck stiff and crooked at an embarrassing angle.

With a chuckle, he drifted back to sleep.

A little neck pain wasn't really a problem, was it, if you had a girlfriend that could probably just witch it away in the morning?


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so happy that you guys liked this little story! Oh wow I can't believe it's over! I actually finished it. ^o^**  
**Thanks for sticking with me! It was only 4 parts but I am proud of this little accomplishment, heh. Thankyou for your support and kind words!  
As usual, if you liked it, please leave a review! Nothing motivates me more than hearing your kind words. :)**

**This story is finished, but I'm working on a brand new AU, and will also update my other ongoing fics on the side of course! So keep your eyes open! B)**

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia was dating an idiot.

She came to that conclusion while she watched said idiot gobble down a whole sandwich in two bites, crumbs and something that was either drool or sauce decorating his chin. He looked as if he had just found heaven in between the cheese and lettuce. In the three months they had been dating, Natsu had done all sorts of things that could definitey be titled as stupid.

There was the time he had gotten them banned from a restaurant because he had started stealing food from the plates the waiters carried by _because it looked good! Isn't that like, a compliment?!_ Or the time he had tried to repair her sink - against her loud, exasperated wishes - and her entire flat had been flooded.

Not to mention the spicy gum incident.

But Lucy Heartfilia was also dating her best friend.

The guy who had conquered her heart by storm, who had a weakness for dragons, horrible innuendos, and his cat - who made her feel more loved than she had felt throughout her whole teenage years.

And who tolerated her extraordinary hobby. Or, as he liked to call it, her 'witchy ways'.

More than tolerate, he actually delighted in them, and passed up no opportunity to find out more about her lifestyle.

On more than one occasion she had had to stop him from proudly proclaiming that he was dating a witch -_ Yes an actual witch! You heard that, suckers?_ \- in public, reminding him that her kind liked to, well, blend in rather than stand out.

Now, too, as they stepped out of the little gas station shop they had halted at on their way to their weekend hideout, Lucy could only laugh at her boyfriend. While she had gotten a soda and a bag of gummy worms - a perfectly normal snack purchase in her book - Natsu had bought the entire store.

The snacks were stacked high on his forearms, a wobbly tower of delicious sweets that were all doomed to find their end in the black hole that was Natsu's stomach. His delighted face was all worth it, though.

"Really Natsu, where are you gonna store all that?" she sighed.

"In my stomach!"

"…you can impossibly eat all that now."

"Sure can!" he boasted. She watched his eyes light up, a clear sign that he was about to suggest something that had a 70% chance of being absolutely ridiculous. "And anyways, can't you just witch them small or something?"

"Mhh…" Lucy put a finger to her pursed lips, trying her best to look doubtful.

"Come on, what kinda witch would you be if you couldn't shrink stuff!"

Now that was enough to scratch her pride. "Hey, spells aren't easy, okay! I had to teach myself everything on my own." Lucy wagged a finger at him, and he shrank at least two sizes. Satisfied, and a little selfpleased, she continued, "but _of course_ I can shrink stuff."

His face lit up. "I knew it! You're the best, Lucy!"

"I won't do it though." she deadpanned.

"Please, Lucyyy!" Natsu surprised her by dropping to his knees, scattering half his snacks in the process. He crouched, touching his head against a chocolate bar instead of the intended ground. "I lied! Not even I can eat this much! There, I said it!"

Incredulous silence followed.

"Natsu…" she started after she had taken a moment to collect herself, trying to hold in her mirthful chuckles, "I was just going to say I'd rather extend the inside of our bag instead. It'll be more inconspicuous."

"…oh." Her idiot lifted his head off the ground with a stupid grin, and the sight was enough for her to burst into laughter. "You're not a witch, you're a ninja!" he laughed as he jumped up, "Nin, nin!"

After the secretive deed was done, Lucy clapped her hands proudly, grinning at her boyfriend. He pursed his lips, looking from her to the bag and back with an unsatisfied look on his face.

"What?"

"There weren't even any cool lights."

Lucy merely rolled her eyes. "Not in public. What, did you think I _had _to do those? I only added them for effect, and because… well because you loved them, okay?"

"You just put all the stuff into the bag!" he continued as if he hadn't heard her, almost offended. "Not even some ominous formula mumbling!"

"Natsu, I didn't escape from a fairy tale book."

"But…" he tried again, then seemed to reconsider. "You really did those lights for me?"

He grinned dumbly, and Lucy bit back a fond laugh.

"Get back on the bike, or we'll never get to this cottage."

Just when he was about to oblige her wish, Natsu halted. Lucy watched him warily from her place on the saddle. Why did he look so high and mighty all of a sudden?

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked smugly, but she just silently arched one of her delicate brows.

"Didn't we stop so you could refuel your bike?" he elaborated after he pointedly stared at the motorbike below his girlfriend without receiving a single reaction from her.

Her smile widened until it split into a grin, and as nonchalantly as she managed, she said, "Did we?"

"Well, you didn't _say _it, but I just _assumed_, you know, because we've been driving for _hours_…oh."

She wriggled her eyebrows at him as realization dawned on his face.

"I don't remember the last time I fueled up my motorbike. Must've been right after I bought it," she mused, grinning at his suddenly incredibly jealous expression.

"That's- that's so _rude_!" he snapped, and then added in a whisper so low he hoped she didn't hear, "..and cool as fuck."

"What, just because _you _have to? Come on, how much does that _dragon _of yours even burn?"

"So now you're gonna be rude about it, huh? How 'bout you go back to your _broom_, then!" he growled, and now she had to bite back a laugh herself.

"Please," Lucy rolled her eyes. "I've told you, brooms are so last century."

"Wait a second, are you saying…. All witches use motorcycles?!"

Even though it seemed nearly impossible at this point, Lucy's grin widened still.

"We like things that go _wroom_."

* * *

As the pair rolled through the open iron gate and into the front yard of the little cottage they would call their home for the weekend - with Natsu still clinging to Lucy's back as if his life depended on it - the latter whistled appreciatively.

After they parked the motorccle and had dumped their large traveling bag beside the entrance door, they both stretched their tired muscles.

The wind rustled through the tall trees around them, giving them a little shade from the heavy summer's heat. The lake that spread out to the left of the small, wooden cottage looked more inviting than anything else, nevermind the view actually came close to something one would usually find on a postcard.

Lucy beamed at her boyfriend.

"I can't believe Gajeel is letting us stay here for free!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I was customer of the month back when I met you," Natsu grinned.

The man they had first heard of as the owner of Gajeel's Gridlock - the one that had to break open Natsu's door the first time around, when he had conveniently forgotten his keys to spend more time with the blonde he now proudly called his witch girlfriend - had become the couple's good friend over time.

Lucy especially got along well with the grumpy guy's finacée, Levy. Which was why her first thought now was to call her friend to let them know they had arrived safely. And to ask if Happy and Plue were behaving.

But she didn't get far. She'd barely pulled out her phone when Natsu excitedly grabbed her wrist.

"Let's go for a swim!"

"Natsu, we've just arrived. Let's at least unpack, and tell the ohers we've arrived, or _relax _a little."

Her pleas met deaf ears. Natsu was kicking his shoes off his feet while simultaneously ridding himself of his sweat-drenched t-shirt.

"You should really come though, Lucy. You're sweating even more than me! You'll be all _stinky_."

"Wh- Ugh, _fine_, I'll come, but let me at least phone Levy."

But before she'd even lifted the phone to her ear, Natsu had snatched it right out of her hand.

"Do you have any other electronics on you?" he asked innocently, and she gave him a curious look.

"No," she said, blinking, and only then realized her mistake. Pure horror took a hold of her as she watched his face split into a menacing grin, and before she knew it he was dashing for her. With a screech, Lucy made her escape, her predator right on her track. She didn't get far.

Strong arms caged her before she even made it to the porch, allowing no escape, and then suddenly there was no more ground beneath her feet. He flung her over his shoulder, and no amount of thrashing and complaining made her situation any better.

Natsu was heading straight for the lake.

After some more futile attempts of escape, she relaxed against him in defeat. Now, with her mind not clouded by the primitive instinct of flight, she found herself with the sudden ability to take in a multitude of small details.

Like the way Natsu's muscles moved and bulged as he carried her towards her end. His dark skin glistened in the sunlight, the thin layer of sweat from his pursuit making the contact with her skin almost slick. She could feel the way his chest rose and fell from the strain of carrying her safely, his bare feet finding support on the earth below. The thin hair at the nape of his neck clung wetly to his skin.

He really needed a bath. And she would gladly take it with him.

That last, lustful thought of hers quickly begged for retraction as his pace suddenly sped up.

"Let me go!"

But it was too late.

Suddenly weightless, Lucy watched as the surface of the lake came closer and closer, small ripples dancing over the mirror-like space. In the split second before impact, she could have sworn she saw her own, panicked face staring right back at her - and beside it, that of a grinning, excited maniac.

The water was cool, and as they both went under, Lucy was certain this would be her freezing grave. The shock passed though, and as she broke to the surface and gasped for breath, she had to admit the dip felt rather refreshing. She could have done without her clothes clinging to her skin though.

"Natsu!" she gasped, "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Don't turn me into a fish please," he cackled beside her, well knowing her threats were empty.

The lake was rather shallow where Natsu had flung them in, and it took only a few treads for them to reach a part where they could stand safely. This was not the end of their little adventure though.

It took many more attacks, shouts, screams and laughter until they waded to the shore, both having swallowed more than enough lake water for the day. The sun had begun its descend,and the afternoon sun struggled to send its warming rays through the thick forest. The air was still a little muggy, but by the time they reached the door, Lucy's teeth had begun chattering.

"Let's get you out of these clothes," Natsu purred into her ear as he hugged her from behind, shuffling them both through the door. She laughed, but slapped his hands away as they began wandering.

"Get the bag inside, dumbo. I'm starving _and _freezing to death."

Natsu scurried off like a kicked puppy, but the mention of food had done it for him, too. After he'd gotten itginside, he rummaged through the bag for the food they had prepared in advance, pulling out a few plastic containers.

"We really have to go shopping tomorrow, or we'll starve to death."

Lucy rolled her eyes, cutlery from the kitchenette ready in her hands.

"Let me heat up what we have for now. Levy said there's a nice town to the east, a thirty minute drive at best, so we'll go there tomorrow. We certainly won't _starve to death_, Natsu."

"Wait, Lucy, you're still in your wet clothes! You gotta change first."

His tone left no room for refusal, and really, why would she complain? Her clothes were heavyily clinging to her body, cooling her skin and making her shiver. She watched as Natsu pulled some random clothes out of the bag, weirdly touched by his concern.

Then again, he was a fire fighter, trained for saving people from all kinds of situations. He certainly was sensitive to potential dangers, and wouldn't let his girlfriend die from hypothermia. She'd give him a piece of her mind if he did, anyways.

She began stripping out of her clothes as best as she could. The process proved hard, with the wet fabric slowing her down immensely. Her shirt made it to the ground before Natsu was at her side, but her shorts proved to be a league of their own. Natsu watched her struggle for a moment, silent laughter shaking his frame, but then took pity on her.

Pushing her back until her legs hit the edge of the bed in the left corner of the room, he pushed her down on it, so she was sitting facing him, and skillfully worked them off her legs, grinning at her pouty face.

"Come on, you're not really mad. It was fun!"

"Says the one with his clothes off, and the natural body temperature of a volcano!"

"Aw, Lucyy," A sly grin spread across his face as he looked up at her from his kneeling position, one hand still on her raised ankle, "Want me to make it up to you?"

It was a face she knew all too well. Mischief mixed with his best bedroom eyes, peeking up at her through thick lashes. She'd be lying if she said no.

Dinner could wait a little longer.

"Well, that depends," she said and cheekily licked her lips, "What is your offer?"

"Mhhh," he hummed, turning to press a kiss to the inside of her knee, exhaling onto her cool skin, "I thought I could fire you up."

"Sounds quite nice," she replied as nonchalantly as possible while he worked his way up the inside of her thigh, "How will you go about it?"

Natsu switched legs, nipping and kissing her skin until it tingled with new warmth.

"Like…" He spread her legs some more as he sat comfortably between them, moving to press another kiss to the hem of her panties. "...this."

She sighed in content, one hand automatically fisting into his unruly, damp hair.

"Is that okay with you, Miss Heartfilia?" he breathed, hooking his fingers into her panties.

"Very," was all she managed before her panties were shuffled to her ankles, and he peppered light kisses between her legs, working further and further down. Raking her hand through his hair, Lucy let herself drop backwards onto the matress, enjoying his hot kisses as he heated her up from the inside.

So lost was she in his ministrations, and the sinful movements of his tongue, that it took several rings of her phone before the sound fully registered in her brain. She merely grunted in dismay, but pushed herself up on her elbows nonetheless, brows furrowed.

Natsu lifted his head, not breaking the contact of his lips against her, but locking questioning eyes with her hazy ones. _Do you really wanna take that?_ they spoke, and she shrugged helplessly. He pressed his tongue against her, wriggling his eyebrows, and she didn't know if she wanted to laugh or moan. The sound that erupted from her chest was a weird mix of both, and served as an answer.

Lucy dropped back onto the blanket.

Only to be betrayed.

Natsu moved back to sit onto his knees, and she heard him shuffle around. She could only hope it was a condom he was looking for, because the alternative was- exactly what he was doing.

He held up the phone and waved it at her, the expression on his face enough to make dread crawl up her spine.

"Wait, Natsu, that's my phone! What are you-"

"Hi Levy!"

Lucy froze.

"Oh, sure, she's here. I'll pass ya right on!"

As Natsu reached out the phone towards her, an evil grin twisting his lips, Lucy's entire demeanor screamed _don't you dare!_ \- but from his spot between her legs, it must not have seemed very convincing, because the phone was in her hands and his head back against her core in a heartbeat.

A surprised hiss left her as his lips worked themselves along her folds, but the phone in her hand grounded her to reality like an anchor. She could faintly hear Levy's confused voice through the speaker.

"Lucy? You there?"

"H-hi Levy," she laughed nervously, sending daggers at the back of Natsu's head - and effectively clenching her thighs around it. But he only chuckled, and the motion left her useless.

"Is everything alright?"

"Mhm."

His tongue was circling the little nub that he knew would drive her insane with one small flick, and Lucy's entire body trembled in terror. He wouldn't dare…!

But, of course, she knew better than to doubt him.

"Levy, I think I gotta call you ba–_aaah_! Oh g–!"

Before she could press the button herself in her frantic search of it, her friend had already severed the connection (but Lucy was quite certain that the last thing she'd heard had been incredulous laughter). She would have felt ashamed, had she possessed the mental capacity at the moment.

But as it was, she did not. The only thing occupying her mind as she tossed the phone to the side and buried her hands in Natsu's hair was his _tongue_, and the wonderful things he was doing to her with it.

She screamed again when he appreciatively hummed against her, arching her back to lean into his touch, craving more of his soft lips and the vibration that made her squirm and thrash beneath him.

His hands kept her down, though, as one snaked around her right thigh and the other found its place on her lower stomach.

"No, oh god, please, not there, not – Natsu, ahh, let me–"

But then his hand released her thigh and one of his calloused fingers tentatively found its way into her, and it was all she could do to arch off the matress one last time before her world shattered around her.

The matress shifted as one of Natsu's hands came down on either side of her, and he held himself up above her with a triumphant grin. "All warm now?"

Lucy smiled stupidly, pulling him down for a kiss. The mood was destroyed, however, when his stomach grumbled loudly. They both laughed, and Natsu pulled her up with him. Lucy looked down at herself, realizing she was only wearing her bra. Her face burst into flame, and Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Nothing I haven't seen before," he chuckled, but bent down again nonetheless, picking up the shirt he had gotten out of the bag earlier. It was one of his t-shirts, but he didn't care. In fact, if he had his way, his t-shirts would be all Lucy ever had to wear.

He pulled it over her head, helping her into it. It served as a short dress on her, and Lucy seemed satisfied. She put her wet hair up in a bun, pecking his lips.

"Thankyou," she mumbled, then made her way over to the kitchenette, where she turned around once more. "We'll save dessert for later."

The wink she gave him left no question as to the meaning behind her innocent words, and a large grin spread across his face. Damn, this woman was more than he deserved.

While she shuffled around in the kitchen, occupied with the difficult task of placing their food on plates and heating it up in the microwave, Natsu carried out her order of laying the table with what little they needed.

One thing, however, kept coming up in their conversation. Natsu would continuously beg her to tune his dragon, reminding her of the time she had mentioned that she _technically _could with her magic. The back and forth was the same every time.

"Natsu, it's illegal."

"But imagine how fast I could be! On a scooter! I could've brought him on this trip!"

"I'm not gonna do it."

"That's so mean!"

"You would break every bone in your body."

"...don't you have a spell against that too?"

And every time, they would come to no satisfying solution - mostly because Natsu was not willing to compromise, insisting on all sorts of ridiculous extras.

Apart from this perpetual dispute, dinner passed without any incidents worth mentioning.

Afterwards both of them occupied themselves with their own idea of relaxation: Lucy slumped down on the bed with her spellbook, trying to finish her newest spell (a three-second complete make-up remover, or how she liked to call it 'a gift to every woman alive'), while Natsu went for a jog thorugh the woods. It was dark when he came back, and he headed straight for the shower after pecking Lucy on the cheek, earning a disgusted "Ew, you smell!" from his girlfriend.

"Well something has to come from all the bear-wrestling."

"Oh, shut up and go shower!"

She informed him her next spell would work on odor-less sweat, and he laughed before disappearing into the tiny bathroom.

It was Natsu who suggested going outside for a bit later on, and he busily rummaged around in their bag while Lucy looked for a blanket in the closet. She found one, albeit old and dusty, and soon they were sitting at the lakeside with a bottle of wine, and a full moon casting enough light for them to not have to use any artificial lights.

They huddled together, lying on the blanket, and Lucy occasionally pointed upwards, trying to explain some constellations to Natsu - in vain. He was too busy making up his own - and vehemently searched for a dragon.

"This one is Taurus, see?" she tried again, tracing invisibe lines with her index finger. He glanced at the group of stars for a moment, then shrugged.

"Looks like a stick figure to me. But hey, _that _could be a wing, don't you think? And there's the tail! Lucy, are you _sure _there's no dragon constellation? Because I just found it!"

Lucy's brow twitched. She sat up, downed the rest of the wine, and lounged for him, straddling his hips as she scowled down at him.

"You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

"I am!" he protested, "It's not my fault if you've never heard of the dragon constellation!"

"Come on! I really love the stars, and I wanted to share them with you," she pouted, smiling hopefully down at him. Natsu sobered up quickly, covering the hand she had placed on his chest with his.

"Don't think I didn't pay attention," he grinned up at her, "I'm pretty sure I can find most of them again. I still think Taurus looks like a stick figure though."

Her face lit up.

"You _did _pay attention?"

"Of course." His grin spread. "You love the stars, I love _you… _I can love the stars."

Lucy smiled softly down at him, suddenly a little overwhelmed with the simplicity of his statement, and the not so simple feelings it evoked. She blinked away happy tears, squeezing his hand.

"So, are we gonna look at the stars some more?" he asked, and blinked up at her questioningly, seemingly confused by her sudden change in mood.

"I don't know…" she hummed, cocking her head as she let her eyes wander over the man beneath her. "I quite like this view too."

His grin turned lopsided. "Is that soo," he drawled self-pleasedly, and she just hummed in agreement, working to push his shirt up and out of the way. He helped wriggle a little, and soon she discarded it on the grass. Her hands travelled over the ridges and valleys of his toned muscles, tracing a path down to his pants. Everytime his muscles contracted beneath her touch, she would smile, repeating the motion.

His breathing became shallow with her teasing, and he locked eyes with her as she unbottoned his pants. Then her slender fingers pulled back, gripping his shirt she was still wearing and pulling it off in one swift motion. At once, she was as bare as she had been earlier, with only her bra concealing his view of her fully naked body. That had to be changed, he decided.

Natsu leaned upwards, beginning his usual battle with the clasp of her bra. He was pleased to find the embarrassing procedure lasted far shorter than usual, and he pulled back with his trophy in hand, throwing it behind him with a triumphant chuckle. Lucy giggled at his antics.

"You've gotten better at this," she observed.

"Pretty sure this was a new record," he cackled before descending on her throat happily, hands moving to cup her breasts.

A silent laugh bubbled up in her chest, but it never found its way out, dying halfway through her lungs. The culprit responsible for its death slanted his hungry mouth over her left nipple, licking and kissing until she gave a low whine and fisted her hands in his hair, pulling him back up for a kiss.

Together, after some wriggling and cursing, they somehow ridded him off his pants. Wasting no time, Lucy reached down and began stroking his length, earning a hiss from Natsu, who mirrored her actions and let his hand wander over her lower stomach and between her legs. They worked to please the other, heavy pants filling the air around them. Her whimpers spurred him on, and he sank a finger into her slick core, making her clench around him lightly. Natsu growled, his cock now painfully rigid under her skilled fingers.

"Lucy…"

Instead of answering, she reached for his wrist and directed his hand up to her breast to join, where it joined his other. Her heavy pants filling the silence. Complying with her silent wish, Natsu squeezed gently, and she sighed, eyes closing for a moment. Then this, too, was over, when she suddenly pushed him onto his back, where he stayed, blinking up at her as he lay sprawled out beneath.

"Let me," she breathed, her voice tinged with anticipation.

Who was he to object?

Locking eyes with him, Lucy reached between them once more, hand firm at the base of his erection. He clenched his teeth as his cock impatiently twitched in her grip, and threw his head back.

The stars were bright in the sky above them, and Natsu could clearly make out Virgo now, as his eyes sought for something familiar to hold on to. He kept his gaze fixed on the blinking lights above as he felt her lower herself onto him, sliding him deeper into her with every inch she allowed herslel to sink.

His hands gripped her thighs, eyelids fluttering when she had fully seated herself.

They both remained quiet and unmoving for a bit, relishing the moment and allowing her to adjust.

Her fingers grazed his jaw, directing his eyes back at her, as if to demand his full attention. Every other sense had already been occupied with her, but it seemed she wanted it all, looking deeply into his eyes.

Greedy.

Then, slowly, she began moving, brushing her thumb over his lips as she did so.

With the light of the moon surrounding her and bathing her in a mystical, soft glow, she looked more like a goddess than any effigy he had laid eyes on before. She was not to be kept on a shelf to gather dust, or to serve as a strict reminder of rules and punishment. No, she was right where she belonged: with him, and _free_. Her golden hair fell into her face occasionally, and she combed it back, never halting the steady push and pull of her hips.

Soft moans escaped her lips, and as she let her head roll backwards and angled herself to allow him deeper into her, his fingers dug into the soft skin of her hips. To steady her or himself, Natsu wasn't sure anymore.

"Ahh.. Lucy...I," he looked up at her again, craving eye contact with the woman riding him to the brink of blissful insanity. She smiled down at him, gasping when he pushed his hips up to meet her, unable to hold back the natural movement his body so craved. He groaned as he thrust into her, trying to keep his voice steady, "I love you."

Her smile turned into a happy grin as she brought herself back down onto him, rolling her hips before sinking forwards to capture his lips in a hot kiss.

"I love you too," she whispered after she released his lips, pressing her forehead against his with a happy smile. And there she remained, slowing the movement of her hips, but not halting fully. Natsu took this as a cue to take over, granting her sore muscles a deserved break. Pushing the heels of his feet into the soft earth, he took over where she had left off, thrusting long and deep until she whined on top of him, begging for release.

Lucy cast her eyes downwards to where they both were joined, hypnotized by the way he filled her time and time again, and by the sensations that flooded through her.

Making love to Natsu, here in the woods under a full moon; it was like nothing she had ever felt before, as if she were connected to the earth itself and to the man beneath her in equal measure. Her magic was overflowing, spreading trough her every limb and spilling over into Natsu. His familiar warmth filled her, made her feel safe and cherished. She knew he could feel the same things.

His pace became as unsteady as his breathing, both of them nearing an edge that would send them tumbling further down than they ever had dared venturing in both body and soul.

They cried out in ecstatic bliss, gladly accepting the fall.

Lucy crashed heavily on top of him, her body spent and completely exhausted. Complete satisfaction washed over her in waves, and she sighed happily, curling around Natsu's body. They both were so heated up from their efforts, the night air now assaulted to their hot bodies, refreshingly cool for a summer's night.

"Natsu," she breathed, still amazed by what had happened between them. She pulled back, searching for his eyes, and found them filled with the same wonder.

"That was…" His voice was horse, and he left his sentence unfinished, no doubt unable to find words that would even come close to describing what he tried to convey. The silence spoke for him just fine.

"Yeah," she agreed, blushing.

They said nothing for a while, simply lay there together, with the moon watching over them.

It was Natsu who broke the silence next, and Lucy could have sworn she felt his heart speed up, the new rhythm thumping through his chest into hers.

"Hey, Lucy?"

She lifted her head off his chest, curiously peeking at him. Likewise, he glanced down at her content face, at peace with the world.

"Marry me."

What?

Lucy's mind went entirely blank, and then every possible thought came crashing in at once, leaving her head spinning. She tried to open her mouth, but not one sound would come out.

His happy face turned nervous, more than she had ever seen him before, as if he only now considered there were two possible answers to this question, and only one he wanted to hear. He cleared his throat, eyes darting over to his pants before his hand reached out to sntach it.

"I mean," he spluttered, "you don't have to, and I know it's soon, but, uh, I really wanna be with you forever if you want, and I know it seems like a stupid spur-of-the-moment thing now but I _did _plan this, look!"

And with that, and an almost desperate yelp, he pulled a little box out of his right pocket.

"I didn't plan on proposing like _this_," he coughed, cheeks suddenly aflame, "but it just slipped out. I know you probably wanted a candlelight dinner and all, and I was gonna do it but... I dunno, it just felt right…uh. So. Lucy?"

Hopeful eyes fixed themselves on hers once more.

"Bu-…"

The word died on her lips.

But we've only been together for three months. But what if you will come to regret this? But this isn't how you're supposed to propose. But we're _both naked right now_.

None of it mattered.

The only thing that mattered was that she was blissfully happy, and that she couldn't picture her future with anyone but Natsu. The only thing that mattered was that she wanted to marry him.

She'd marry him right this instant, if she could.

Lucy smiled, throwing herself at Natsu to silence him before he could ruin the moment. From the looks of it, he was ready to start another desperate, embarassing tirade. Words were _her _strong suit, after all. But right now, they weren't needed. She kissed him, long and hard, and pulled back with happy tears in her eyes.

Taking this as a good sign, Natsu slowly beamed at her.

"Yes."

* * *

"I even came up with some amazing proposal lines. Shame I didn't get to use them. Wanna hear?"

"Oh god. No."

"Hey Lucy, wanna ride my dragon forever?"

"Natsu, stop."

"I promise to never annoy you as much as Itchy Ham, so wanna be my Witchy Ham?"

"I _will _turn you into a fish."

"You have bewitched me, body and soul-"

"That's from Pride and Prejudice."

"Dammit. Okay but-"

"I _dare _you, one more and I'm not gonna marry you after all!"


End file.
